Coin-operated vending-machine.



LD AU". 11, '1908.

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PATENT APPLICATION Hub sr'r. 163964.

AlEQENDING MAGHlNE.

COIN OPER.

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P. W. TUCKER GOIN OPERATBD VBhNDING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 10, 1904.

A110,895,516. f' PATBNTBD AUG. 11.1908.

P.W. TUCKER. G01N OPERATED VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 10,1001.

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G01N OPBRATBD VBNDING MACHINE.

4 SHEETS-:SHEET 4.

UNirin scri-'riss PATENT .,oiricr..

, FRANK W. TUCKER, OF MILFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED STATES CASH SALES COMPANY OF NEWYYORK, OF SOUTH NORWALK, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION O MAINE.

COUT-OPERATED VENDING-MACHINE.

Specification o! Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 121` 1908.

, Application led September 10, 1904. Serial No. 224,017.

To all 'whom 'it may concern:

fr Be it knovm that I, FRANK W. TUCKER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Milford, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and lisciil Improvement in Coin-Operated Vending-Machines,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in .that class of vending machines in which the articles to be sold `are delivered by the operation of mcchanism\ controlled by the insertion of a coin. This particular inventio relates to the delivery mechanism of suoli a machine. The machine issiiitable for use in delivering various articles in bulk and is particularly intended for the delivery of nuts in the shell, the object being to rovide means for delivering a predetermine quantity of the articles for each insertion of a coin of predetermined value, the mechanism being so arranged as to be easily and readily operated.

In the accompanying drawings, Figurel' represents so muchof a vending machine in vertical section taken from front to rear, as will give a clear understanding of my inven-A tion, the parts of the delivery mechanism being shown in their normal positions. Fi". 2 -is asimilar view showing the parts in full lines in the position which t ey assume when the carriage has been moved to deliver a measured portion of the articles; the carriage and its adjacent parts being shown iii dotted lines A-A of Fig. 1, the hop er being removed to more clearly illustrate t e delivery carriage, Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken iii the plane of the line B-B of Fig. 1, Fig. 5 is a de` tail 'vertical section from iront to rear in the plane of the coin Epluiiger, diierent parts being broken away to more clearly show'parts beyond the same, the parts being in their nor mal positions, Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the parts in the positions which they assume when the plunger him been moved to the limit of its inward movement in connection with a coin, Fig. 7 is a vertical transverse section taken in the plane ofthe line C-C of Fig. 9, Fig.- 8 is a detail vertical longitudinal section on an enlarged scale, through .the plunger,

showin(l the position of the coin removing lever wit i respect thereto, and Fig. 9 is a partiel horizontal section taken in the plane of the lunger.

'I ie vending machine casing is denoted by 1. A delivery pocket 2 is provided in the casing. to which ocket a chute 3, within the casing, leads. 'lelie top of the chute 3 is brought into proximity to a horizontal partition 4, within the easing, which partition is provided with an opening 5 therein communicating with the chute. This horizontal partition 4 is provided with tracks 6 and 7 which form guides for livery carriage. This carriage is rovided exterior to one side thereof, with ro ers 8, 9, near the front and bacl respectively thereof. The carriage is provided on its other side with front and-rear rollers 10, 11, the roller 11 being located near the rear end of the carriage and the roller 10 a short distance to the front of the roller 11.

The rear wall of the carria e is denoted by 12 and it projects a considlerable distance above the top of the saine. A transverse partition 13 extends across between the side walls 14, 15 of the carriage a distance to the front of the rear wall 12 sufficient to form a measuring tpocket of the required size in the carriage. he top wall which leads from the transverse partition 13 to the front of the carriage from side to side thereof is denoted by 16. A trap door 17 serves to open and close the bottom of the measuring pocket, which trap door is hinged at 18 adjacent to the bottom edge of the transverse partition 13.

The carriage is yieldingly held at the limit of its forward movement. In the resent instance I provide a pulley 19 nw uch is a reciprocating demounted in suitable bearings in the front art of the horizontal partition 4. Aiexilile connection 20 is secured at one point to the top 16 of the carriage and at another point to a weight 21. This flexible connection 20 passes over the pulleyr 19, the weight 21 tending to keep the carriage at the limit of its forward movement.

A horizontal rocking lever 22 is hinged at 23 on the horizontal partition 4 at one side of the reciprocating carriage. The free end of this lever extends into the interior of the carriage beneath the top 16 thereof and is there provided with a traction roller 24 for supporting the free end of the lever. lhis lever is provided with an aiiu 25 which bears against the front face of the partition 13.

by coin-actuated mechanism to be hereinaf- V ter described.

The trap door 17 of the measuring pocket in the carriage is kept closed until the carriage is moved rearwardly to the limit of its movement to bring the pocket opposite the o ening 5 in the partition above the delivery c 'ute 3 as follows. A vertically swinging lever is hinged at 26 to one side of the chute 3. The lower arin of the lever is denoted by 27, which arm is weighted as shown at 28. The upper arm is denoted by 29 and it is provided with a head 30 which projects laterally into the interior of the top of the chute through an o enin 31. This head is provided with a s oul er 32 which rejects upwardly through the opening 5 in t ie partition 4 in position to be engaged by the free end of the trap door 17 as the carriage is moved rear. wardly. This will cause the trap door to be kept closed until by the rearward swinging movement of the arm 29 of the lever, a finger 33 on its head 30 will-engage the bottom of the trap door 17 and raise its rear ree end out of engagement with the shoulder 32.

This will permit the lever to swing back 1inder the iniuence of its weighted arm 27 to its normal position. The side of the trap door 17 is provided with a slot 34 opposite the head 30 of the lever when in this position, thus ermitting the trap door to' .drop throng i the opening 5 in the partition 4, into the upper portion of the chute. This will permit the. articles within the measuring pocket to be drop -ed into the chute where they will be led to t e delivery pocket 2.

As the coincontrolled lever 22 is swung forwardly, the carriage will be drawn back to its normal position Kby the weight 21 and flexible connection 20. This forward movement of the carriage will cause the trap door to engage the iront wall of the opening 5 in the partition 4, thus swinging the trap door up into position to close the bottom of the pocket.

The means which I have shown for feeding the articles to the measuring pocket in the carriage is constructed, and arranged asfollows. A hopper is located within the easing.

above the carriage, which ho per com )rises the vertical side walls 35, 36, t e vertice. rear wall 37 and the vertical front wall 38 having a. downwardly and inwardl extending portion 39. An adjustable ownwardly and forwardly1 inclined plate 40 is hinged at 41 Within t e hopper. The free end of this swinging plate is held elevated by the rear wall 12 of the carriage when the carriage is in its normal forward position. As the carriage is moved rearwardly, the free end of the plate 46 swings downward until it 1s brought 1n close proximity to the top 16 of the casing to the front of its measuring pocket. Adjusting screws 42, 43 in a bracket 44 are arranged to engage the plate. i

40 to the front and rear of its hinged eonnec` tion 41 for adjusting the limits of the upward and downward movements of the said plate.

The coin-operated mechanism for controlling th movements of the lever 22 and thereby the delivery of the articlcsis eon structed, arranged and operated as follows. A socket piece 45 is-secured to the front of the easing and ,a plunger 46 is fitted to slide therein. The socket )ieee 45 is rovided with a coin receiving siot 47 throng i its top wall and a discharge slot 48 through its bot- 3tom wall, these slots being in alinement for permitting the assage of coins through the socket piece if t ie coins are of different sizes than the class intended for use in operating the machine. The plunger 46 is irovided with an oll'set rearwardly projeetei portion 49 having projected therefrom a rod 50 mounted to slide in its rear end in a bearing bracket. A spring 52 surrounds the rod 50 and is bracket 51 an( the collar 53 .fixed to the roi the said spring serving to yieldingly hohl the plunger 46 at the limit of its forward niovement.. The offset portion 49 has a sliouldered engagement at 54 with' the socket inter osed. between the bearing.

ieee 45 for liinitinnr the forward movement ted within a recess 57 in the inner wall of the socket piece 45 adjacent to the periphery' of the plunger, which presser plate is held in position by springs 58. The oil'set portion 49 and the presser plate 56 are provided with slots 59, 60 at the inner end of the plunger opposite the slots 47, 48 for a portion of the width of the saine so that a disk of greater diameter but thinner than the predetermined coin will pass entirely through the socket piece. The presser plate 56 serves to hold the coin with a slight frietioual grip against the end of the plunger when the coin has been inserted through the slot 47 in the socket piece. A longitudinally sliding pin 61 is mounted in bearings 62, 63, which pin is concentric with the plunger 46. The rear end of the pin is provided with a head 64 to the rear of its bearing 63, which head engages the lever 22. The front end of the pin 61 normally occu ies a position a short distance to the rear of t ie end of the plunger when thc plunger is in its normal position. A. retainer 65 is loosel mounted on the in 61 to the front of the bearing 62 and a spring 66 is interosed between the said retainer and bearing.

he insertion of the proper joint between the plun er and the front end of the pin 61 will inter o'ck therplunger with the lever 22. The lever 22 is temporarily locked at the limit of its rearward movement by a pawl 67.tlie nose of which is fitted to drop back of a tooth or abutment'V 68 on the lever 22.A This pawl 67 is pivoted at 69 on the side wall 36 of -the hopper. This awl is provided with a tail piece \l0i\vhich wi l be depressed by a cam 71 on the outersilof theollset portion 49 ol' the plunger as the plunger returns to the limit of its forwardmovement, thus lifting the pawl G7 outI of eng 0'ement with its tootli or a )utinent 68 on the ever 22, and permitting the lever to return to the linut of its forward movement under the tension of the weight 21 which re.-

turris the article delivery carriage to the linnt of its normal position.

I provide means or momentarily holding the retainer when the plunger has been moved with its coin to the limit of its inward movement to permit the coin to drop away from the plunger as the plunger starts on -its outward movement. l n the present instance, I rovide a brake lever 72, 73, the aiin 72 of wliich is fitted to engage the periphery of the retainer 65 and the arm 73 of which is provided with a weight 74, for holding the arm 72 in such engagement. This lever is hinged at 75 in a suitable bearing on the horizontal partition 4. The movement of the arm 72 of the brake lever toward and away from the retainer 65 is controlled by a cani surface 76 which is so arranged that the arm 72 of the brake lever will be permitted to engage the retainer 65 at the proper time.

In order to insure the stripping of the coin from the rear end of the plunger if the coin should accidentally stick thereto because of any adhesive material on the coin, I )rovide the following mechanism. The perip iery of the lunger is provided with a cam groove 77 lea ing from its rear end. A stripping lever 78 is hinged at 79 within the casing to the rear of the plunger when the plunger is in its normal position. The stripping lever is provided with a nose 80 which is provided with a tapered face 81 to permit the nose to ride over the edge of the coin as the coin is forced inwardly" by the inward movement of the plunger. As the lunger returns the nose 80 of the stripping ever will travel inwardly along the cam groove'77 to a oint back of the coin if the coin should not liave. dropped away from the lunger when the plunger was near the limito its rearward movement. As the rear end of the plunger passes by the stripping lever, it will be seen that the lever will strip the coin from the end of the plunger.

I have provided means for putting the inachine out of action .when the articles to be delivered have been exhausted; which means is constructed, arranged and operated as follows. A lever 82, 83, is ivoted at 84, in the side 36 of the ho iper. he arm S3 of the lever is located wit un the hopper and the arm S2 of the lever is located exterior to thel hopper. The arm 82 is provided with a pawl rearwardly against the tension of the spring 52, the collar 53 will slide hy the pawl 85. The pawl will then engage the front face of the collar and thus prevent the spring 5L from forcing the plunger back to its .normal position. This position will remain until a new supply of articles is furnished to the hopper.

li'rom the. above deseri )tion it will be. seen that a machine is provided which is simple and positive'in itsoperation; and is one in which the danger from repeating is obviated.

Itis evident that various changes might he. made in the construction, form and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit and scope of iiiy invention; hence I do not wish to limit myself strictly to the structure herein shown, hut

What I claim as my invention is:

1. 1n a vending machine, a casing having a horizontal partition therein, a carriage having rollers arranged to travel on the partition, guides therefor, said carriage having a measuring pocket therein, means for yieldingly holding the carriage at the limit of its moveinent in one direction and a lever having a traction roller arranged to support the lever, the said lever having an engagement with the carriage for positively moving it in the opposite direction.

2. In a vending machine, a carriage havingl a measuring pocket therein, means for moving the carriage, 'a trap door for-the plockct and n. rocking lever arranged to kee t e trap door closed until. the carriage reac ies a predeternzined point in its movement.

3. In a vending machine, a carriage having a measuring pocket therein, means for moving the carriage, a trap door for the pocket and a rocking lever having ashoulder arranged to support the free end of the trap door as thecarriage is moved in one direc.- tion, the said lever having a finger for releasing the trap door as the movement of the earriage is completed in the same direction to permit the trap door to open.

In testimony,V that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I havesigned my name in presence. of two witnesses, this ,2nd day of July 1904.

v FRANK W. TUCKER. Witnesses:

Fui-ini". IIAYNES, HENRY Tiiimm. 

